S08 - Session O1 - Fruit vegetables in indoor farming – potential of chili production

Authors: Sabine Wittmann *, Ivonne Jüttner, Heike Mempel

In the scientific literature as well as in practice, Asia greens, young plants, leafy greens and herbs are deemed suitable for indoor vertical farming. These plant groups correspond to the most frequently mentioned requirements for a high efficiency (e.g. low growth, short cultivation time, high harvest index, low need for light). However, for a profitable and global establishment of indoor vertical farming, the need for a higher diversity of usable crops, especially higher-quality plants such as fruit or fruit vegetables, is becoming increasingly clear not only as fresh produce, but as plant raw material. Capsicum annuum (L.) belongs to the Solanaceae and is due to a high nutritional value as well as health beneficial properties and quality-determining ingredients (coloring, hot and aromatic substances) among the world`s most important aromatic plants today. Due to these properties, which are required by the pharmaceutical, cosmetical and food industry, Capsicum annuum can contribute to a profitable production in indoor vertical farming systems. A study inside a running indoor vertical farm at the Applied Science Centre for Smart Indoor Farming (HSWT, Germany), investigated the cultivation of short growing varieties of Capsicum annuum in a multilayer system, using morphological, physiological and qualitative parameters as well as efficiency indicators. In order to optimize the energy use efficiency of the LED exposure, different spectra were used, including monochromatic blue-red LED and full spectra with different ratios of red:blue as well as UV. Depending on the examined light variants, first results indicate a harvest index of 0.7, resulting in a Surface Use Efficiency (SUE) of up to 30 kg of fruits with a commercial class I, per growing area (m²) and year. Furthermore, the results propose a possible increase of Energy Use Efficiency (EUE) by 43 %.